The BBC Sport commentator Guy Mowbray appears to have hinted at Eddie Nketiah’s next club.
The Athletic reported earlier that Nketiah will decide within the next 24 hours where he will spend the rest of the campaign on loan from Arsenal, with Bristol City, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday the three sides left in contention for his signature.
But speaking during the BBC’s live broadcast of Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round tie against Leeds United – the club from which Nketiah was recalled earlier than planned, last week – Mowbray said of the striker: “He might go on loan to Bristol City, we understand, next.”
It is claimed that Bristol City came close to signing Nketiah at the start of the season, but lost out to Leeds and their impressive presentation to Arsenal.
And the Robins were named as early favourites to land him this month by Bristol Live.
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But the website has since doubt on a move to Ashton Gate, amid a fall-out between the Bristol City manager Lee Johnson and midfielder Kasey Palmer, with whom Nketiah is said to share ‘several mutual friends and acquaintances’, having both spent time in Chelsea’s youth ranks.
Were Nketiah – who was omitted from Arsenal’s squad to face Leeds – to appear for his parent club this season he could not then play for a third until the new campaign.
Nketiah waves goodbye to Leeds. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Sheffield Wednesday appeared to have a convincing case to present regarding the 20-year-old’s next destination.
Unlike Nottingham Forest, the Owls have often played with two orthodox strikers throughout the season, increasing Nketiah’s chances of securing the regular game time he failed to at Leeds.
The Wednesday manager Garry Monk also boasts an impressive track record of improving the goal returns of his centre forwards, such as Chris Wood (Leeds), Che Adams (Birmingham City) and Steven Fletcher, who has already found the net more times this season than in his previous three Hillsborough campaigns.
